Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Inside Congress, BJP ‘war rooms’ in Jaipur

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: The war rooms in the Congress and BJP offices were packed with party men who were constantly on phone, monitoring television, gathering feedback, resolving issues related to polling and passing directions.

lok
sabha
electionsUpdated: Apr 30, 2019 15:53 IST

HT Correspondent Hindustan Times, Jaipur

Congress members at the party's war room in Jaipur. (HT PHoto )

Abuzz with activities, Congress and BJP state offices in Jaipur look no less than a battlefield.

All hands on deck, the war rooms in the offices on Monday , a restricted zone of both the parties, were packed with party men who were constantly on phone, monitoring television, gathering feedback, resolving issues related to polling and passing directions.

Starting the day early, leaders and office-bearers took their positions and were seen sending feedbacks and reports to senior state and central leaders, who continue campaigning in Lok Sabha seats going to polls on May 6.

Work was delegated to different groups but legal cells of both the parties were taking a major load, apprising election department officials of EVM malfunctioning, irregularities and alleged fake voting and booth capturing at some places.

Congress spokesperson Archana Sharma said more than 525 complaints of EVM malfunctioning and five-six incidents of booth capturing have been reported by party workers. “The issues are being reported to the election department.”

A senior Congress leader said on anonymity that in the war room, a team of over 50 advocates of the legal cell are addressing the complaints related to polling. “They are guiding party’s election agents and apprising the election department.”

Around 40,000 trained workers are reporting issues relate to polling to the party call centre; a team of over 100 members then forward the information to data analytics team (25 members), which is then segregated and submitted to the legal cell for action, the Congress leader said. The Congress call centre is located outside the party office.

At the BJP office, four rooms are allocated for monitoring polling. In a room eight televisions have been put up for monitoring and inputs are sent to senior leaders; two rooms are used as call centres.

State BJP convener (election) Nahar Singh said over 300 complaints about EVM malfunctioning and a few incidents of booth capturing and fake voting have been received. “EVM issues are reported to the election department.”

A senior BJP leader said on anonymity that every activity in LS seats -- from polling percentage to any irregularity – is minutely monitoring. Two separate call centres, manned by 600 people, have been set up outside the state party office. “Around 100 professionals, working for the last six months, are monitoring the entire situation and forwarding issues to top leaders,” he said.